A Drink in the Life of a Stella Artois Chalice

Over the past week, the Sundance Film Festival has been delighting movie buffs with its usual blend of originality and brilliance. Made Man was fortunate to attend as a guest of Stella Artois—on the occasion of the nationwide launch of Stella Artois Cidre—and we did a little filmmaking of our own.

Having packed a GoPro Hero3 to shoot snowboard footage, we decided to set it loose at Stella’s event space, where the beer and cider flowed, waffles were served and visitors thrilled to celebrity guests like Elizabeth Banks and musical performances by Capitol Cities, Matisyahu, O.A.R. and the amazing house act, jazz vocalist Conn Curran (whom you’ll meet below) and his merry men.

So we slapped the camera onto a Chalice and let lovely servers Brooke Weissbender and Wendy R Thomsen take it through a modified Stella Artois Pouring Ritual*. We’re no Wes Anderson, but we hope you enjoy the results…

*The full pouring ritual requires a tap rather than a bottle. Here’s the scoop, according to Stella Artois: The pouring ritual is central to enjoying the perfect Stella Artois. The process is precise and complex and represents a time-honored tradition that is in keeping with the care that goes into brewing the gold-standard Belgian lager. Each of the nine steps was developed to ensure that consumers are served Stella Artois as they would be in Belgium.

The 9-Step Pouring Ritual consists of the following discrete steps:

1. The PurificationThe Chalice must be cleaned and rinsed.

2. The SacrificeThe tap is opened in a single swift motion and the first drops of beer are poured.

3. Liquid AlchemyThe Chalice must be held at a 45° angle, just under the tap.

4. The HeadLowering the Chalice permits the natural formation of the foam head.5. The RemovalThe tap is closed quickly and the Chalice removed. No drips permitted.

6. The BeheadingWhile the head foams up and threatens to overflow, a head cutter is deployed to smooth it gently.

7. The CleansingThe bottom and sides of the Chalice are to be cleaned.

8. The JudgmentThe perfect amount of foam equals two fingers.

9. The BestowalThe beer should be presented on a clean coaster, with the logo facing outward.

Not only has it been proven that perfectly poured Stella Artois results in more satisfied consumers, but bartenders, too, become true brand ambassadors once they have mastered the art of serving Stella Artois. The annual Stella Artois World Draught Master Competition—established in 1997—invites expert bartenders and Stella Artois fans from around the globe the chance to try their hand at perfecting the 9-Step Pouring Ritual. During the competition, excellence is demanded at each stage of the Ritual by a panel of judges who scrutinize each and every step. The perfect pour, brilliantly executed, will earn one competitor the title of Stella Artois World Draught Master. Prior to 2012 there had been just fifteen World Draught Masters selected in the competition’s history.